


Bohemian Rhapsody

by Maraudererasmut



Series: Wolfstar Shorts [21]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Black Family (Harry Potter) - Freeform, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, M/M, Marauders, Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-28 18:36:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16247462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maraudererasmut/pseuds/Maraudererasmut
Summary: Sirius recalls the night he left 12 Grimmauld Place forever. He's reminded of his family again when he gets an unexpected letter.





	1. Spare Him His Life From This Monstrosity

**Author's Note:**

> This one is a weird emotional one, showing James and Sirius and how they interact with each other after Sirius runs away from home. 
> 
> I wanted to fill in some blanks that were left out of official canon, and figure out how they fit into the world that I've created for the boys. 
> 
> Sirius has been through some tough stuff, and I really wanted to try to explore that and figure out how he responds to real emotional drama. I also wanted a bit of inner dialogue, Sirius style. I feel like he and Remus have a lot in common in terms of their emotional baggage. While they're super different from each other, they do make a fantastic couple. They just need time to figure it all out. :)
> 
> Again, I'm playing on the theme of music here, building up to the concert that the boys go to. I'm so excited for them to finally go on their road trip!
> 
> Also, I'm sorry for not actually writing the letter out like I usually do. Too many words, my handwriting can't pretend to be neat for that long!

_ I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me. _

_ He's just a poor boy from a poor family. _

_ Spare him his life from this monstrosity. _

 

The night Sirius Black left 12 Grimmauld Place, it was raining. Looking back, Sirius was able to laugh at how stereotypical that was, but at the time, it had been frustrating beyond all belief. Sirius had just gotten his motorbike and hadn't bothered to get his muggle driving license. He was great at everything he tried; most things came naturally to him, he was sure he could figure it out in time. He didn't realize that he wouldn't have an opportunity to learn before using it that evening. 

 

The voices still rang in his head, clear as day, repeating the words over and over.

 

“ _ Filthy blood traitor! You pathetic excuse for a wizard! I wish you had never been born, at least then, Regulus could have been the Black heir!” _

 

_ “I don't want to be your heir! I never have! A fortune built on the backs of slaves?! Money drenched in the blood of muggles?! I'd rather die a blood traitor than ever be considered a part of this family!” _

 

_ “Then go die a blood traitor!” _

 

_ “Fine!” _

 

_ “Leave! Never come back! Leave here and don't ever deign to call yourself my son. Cast the name Black aside and let us be rid of our burden once and for all!” _

 

He left. Right then and there. Sirius didn't pack a bag, didn't say goodbye to his little brother, didn't bring his trunk with him. He left with the clothes off his back and his wand, always kept in his pocket for safe keeping. He left the Black residence and went to the only place he could think of that would be safe for him.

 

James had opened the door to a sopping wet Sirius and a beat-up motorbike. Obviously riding it was more challenging than he had anticipated.

 

_ “Merlin's beard, Padfoot! What the hell happened?!” _

 

_ “Can I… can I stay with you?” _

 

_ “Yeah… yeah, of course. Come inside, it's pouring.” _

 

Mr. and Mrs. Potter had accepted Sirius as one of their own. From that moment on he was the brother that James never had and the second son of the Potter household. The next day, they all went over to 12 Grimmauld Place and rescued Sirius’ school trunk from the streets, bringing his things home, where they belonged.

 

Sirius remembered when Mrs. Potter tried to give him a hug and he flinched. James had laughed, assuming it was one of Sirius’ jokes, but his mother didn't smile. She knew what the Black family was capable of.

 

For the first time in his life, Sirius had parents, real parents, who loved him and cared for him. A mother who did his laundry, a father who helped him fix up his bike. James and Sirius would spend mornings making breakfast for the family and evenings playing pickup Quidditch in the yard. Sirius was praised like a son and scolded like one. When he came home with his first visible tattoo on his bicep, he was sure that Mrs Potter was about to have a stroke. 

 

_ “James, don't go thinking you're allowed to get one of those!” _

 

She didn't know that it was already too late. They had matching ones. 

  
  
  


Here he was now, spending his second summer at Potter Manor. Despite having his own bedroom, Sirius spent a majority of his nights in James’ room. It was safer there. He knew that when the dreams got bad, he could always wake James up and talk, calming himself down. This was the family he always dreamed of having, and it killed him that he couldn't give the same thing to his brother.

 

Sirius sat on James’ bed, his back against the wall, while James paced around the room prattling on about something.

 

“Oh! We could always bewitch the Slytherin brooms! Can you imagine them getting to practice and their brooms just keep veering slightly to the left? Pads, you getting all this down?”

 

Sirius looked up, staring blankly through James.

 

“Pads?”

 

He snapped out of it and faked a smile. He shook his head out, the same way a dog would rid itself of water, and swept it out of his eyes.

 

“Sorry, kinda dozed off there… what were we talkin’ about again?”

 

“Pranks for next year… it's our last year, Pads. We have to take this seriously!” 

 

“Oh, Prongs, I take everything…”

 

“Yeah, yeah, you take everything Sirius-ly. You know, it wasn't funny the first time, what makes you think it's funny now?”

 

Sirius laughed, enjoying James’ reaction to his joke. Padfoot's laugh was infectious; bright and bold. James couldn't help but laugh along with him.

 

There was a knock on the door.

 

“Sirius, honey, there's an owl for you!”

 

Sirius’ first instinct was Remus. He had been writing to his boyfriend as often as he could, which was not often enough. He had to leave his Black family owl at Grimmauld Place, and he hadn't had the opportunity to buy a new one. James and Sirius were sharing James’ owl, who was being used to tote love letters all across London, between James’ budding romance with Lily and Padfoot’s flourishing relationship with Moony.

 

“Come in, Mrs. Potter!”

 

Mrs. Potter opened the door. She was an older woman, grey hair tied back in a tight bun, reminding Sirius of a softer, kinder McGonagall.

 

“Thanks, Mum,” James said politely, taking the letter from her and kissing her on the check.

 

“Good night, boys. Don't stay up too late!”

 

“G’night!”

“G’night, Mum!”

 

With that, Mrs. Potter left, and Sirius grabbed the note from James and hastily unrolled it, eager to see what Remus had to say. 

 

_ Dear Sirius, _

 

_ I hope this letter finds you well. _

 

_ You may not remember me, you were still quite young when I left. I remember you, though. You were always a bright young boy, eager to learn and take on the challenges of the world. And now I see that you've grown into a bright young man, who is capable of knowing right from wrong. _

 

_ My name is Andromeda Tonks, and I am your first cousin from your father's side. You may be familiar with my sisters, Bellatrix and Narcissa. I was your age when I first started dating my husband, Ted Tonks, whom I met while attending Hogwarts, like yourself. He was in Hufflepuff and I Slytherin, but despite our differences, we fell madly in love. When I married Ted after graduation, the Black family chose to disown me due to his bloodline (or lack thereof). You see, Ted is muggle-born, and while that was never an issue for me, it was considered a crime against all the things the Black family stood for. _

 

_ I so desperately wanted to reach out to you, to see how you were doing, but until now, I had no opportunity to do so. I couldn't write to you while you lived under the same roof as Orion and Walburga Black, they would have simply destroyed my letters upon arrival.  _

 

_ I was so proud when I heard that you were sorted into Gryffindor, the first Black to ever break the tradition of Slytherin. Don't get me wrong, I loved my house, but there is something to be said about breaking the mould set before us of being in a house that was built for “Purebloods”.  _

 

_ When I got word that you were no longer living with your birth parents, I felt it was an ideal opportunity to contact you. The Potters are good people, you're very fortunate to have found a loving home with them.  _

 

_ If you are open to the idea, I would love to meet up with you sometime in the near future, perhaps for coffee or a drink. If you would like, you can also meet my husband and our daughter, Nymphadora. They would both be thrilled to meet another Black who made the same choice as me. _

 

_ I wish you all the best, and I sincerely hope that I get the opportunity to see you in person. _

 

_ I anticipate your reply. _

 

_ Your cousin always, _

 

_ Dromeda Tonks _

  
  
  


Sirius sat down on James’ bed, stone faced, still clutching the letter tightly. 

 

“What'd Remus say?” James noticed his friend’s expression and began to worry. “Pads… you alright? Did… did you guys break up or something?”

 

Sirius didn't say anything. He simply held out the letter for James, who snatched it to read through.

 

The room remained silent until James spoke up.

 

“Fuck… that's… Fuck, mate.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

James sat down on the bed beside Sirius.

 

“You okay, Pads?”

 

“What should I do?”

 

James looked at Sirius, sober faced. 

 

“You meet her. You have family, flesh and blood family, that are on your side. This is… everything you’ve ever wanted.”

 

“Is it?” Sirius was looking at James as if it was his first time seeing him. With his constantly disheveled hair and his penetrating brown eyes, James was everything to Sirius. They were brothers. Did he need any more family than that?

 

“Talk to me, Pads…” James’ voice was hushed and filled with understanding. He wanted to help unwrap whatever tangled mess was going on in his friend’s mind.

 

“What if it’s a trick?”

 

James looked at Sirius skeptically.

 

“Or… or what if it’s not? I don’t know this person. I have absolutely no memory of her. She could be anyone! How do I know if this… this… Andromeda is even telling the truth? She could be anybody!”

 

“Well, she seems to follow Black naming conventions,” James joked, trying to get a smile out of Sirius, who seemed thoroughly unimpressed.

 

“Look, Pads, she mentioned my parents. Maybe they’ve met before? We should ask them.”

 

Sirius’ expression changed. He looked at his hands guiltily and began chipping away at his nailpolish; a nervous habit that he could never quite rid himself of.

 

“I… I don’t want to involve them.”

 

“What are you talking about? My parents love you!”

 

“Exactly.” Sirius looked pointedly at his best friend. “They’ve done nothing but treat me like family since I first got here. I’m not going to brush them aside just because someone else claims to be my relative.”

 

“I never said…”

 

“Your parents have done so much for me, been there for me. I… I don’t want them to think that I’m out there, searching for a family, when I’ve had one right here this whole damn time.”

 

The boys sat in silence, neither one of them knowing what to say.

 

James handed the letter back to Sirius, who folded it and tucked it away in his pocket to worry about later. 

 

“So, pranks for next year…”

 

“Sirius…”

 

“No, come on James, pranks for next year. You mentioned something about brooms?”

 

James didn’t respond at first, attempting to figure out what Sirius was trying to do. It took a moment, but Prongs realized that Padfoot needed a distraction, one that he was capable of providing.

 

“Yeah… Brooms. The Slytherin quidditch team, actually…”

  
  


\-----

 

Sirius woke up in the middle of the night, panting, cold sweat drenching his body and the sheets around him. He had the same dream that’s been plaguing him for the past year: he walks in on Regulus, being beaten by Orion Black, Walburga watching from the sidelines. Sirius always tries to stop it, but he can’t. He’s outside 12 Grimmauld Place, unable to get inside.

 

The dream ended differently this time. Regulus was on the brunt end of corporal punishment when a voice came from behind Sirius. 

 

_ You could’ve saved him. _

 

_ You should have saved him. _

 

It was a female’s voice that he didn’t recognize, telling him over and over that Regulus’ beatings were on Sirius’ head.

 

Sirius got out of bed and hastily got dressed, keeping as quiet as possible, trying not to wake James. He grabbed his leather jacket and keys and snuck out the back door. 

 

It was pouring outside. The rain made everything worse. It reminded him of that night.

 

Sirius grabbed his bike and swung a leg over, ready to ride out into the desolate streets. A voice in the back of his mind scolded him.

 

_ “Sirius! You’re not planning to ride that thing in the rain? And without a helmet? You’re going to get yourself killed!” _

 

_ Sorry, Mrs. Potter.  _

 

Sirius turned the key to his bike and revved the engine before tearing out into the night.

 

He didn’t know where he was going. The street lights glowed, casting sparkling reflections off of puddles on the ground. Wheels ripped through pools of water, drenching everything around the bike. Sirius rode, without a purpose, without a plan. He just rode.

 

When he looked up, he was at a familiar townhome. Sirius stopped his bike, nudged the kickstand and left it out front. He slowly approached the door, hesitating once he reached it. This wasn’t a good idea, Sirius knew it, but he needed to be there. He just had to.

 

Pulling himself away from the front door, Sirius walked around the building to find a particular window. He looked up and noticed that all the lights were off.

 

_ Don’t do it, Sirius. Do not do it. This is a bad idea. Don’t do it. _

 

Sirius picked up a small stone from the ground and tossed it up and down in his hand.

 

_ Sonofabitch, don’t do it. He’ll be upset… _

 

Sirius threw the pebble against the window above him. The rock hit glass with a light  _ tink _ before falling back to the ground. He had to toss harder.

 

_ Just go home, Sirius. Just… just go back to the Potters’. _

 

Another rock, another throw. This one made a louder noise against the window. Still no answer.

 

_ Quit while you’re ahead, moron. Just leave. _

 

He picked up another stone. 

 

_ Last rock.  _

 

A hard throw, a louder  _ tink _ . The window remained shut.

 

That was it. Sirius knew this was a useless idea. He knew that he should never have come here, but this was where the bike took him, whether he liked it or not.

 

He heard a sound from above him, a window sliding open. Then a voice.

 

“ _ Sirius _ ?!”

 

Sirius looked up, seeing the only thing he knew would cheer him up on a night like this. A familiar scarred face looked down at him, hazel eyes half closed from exhaustion. 

“Sirius, you  _ asshole _ , what the  _ hell  _ are you doing here?” Remus was pissed. Sirius knew he’d be. But he also knew he’d be understanding.

 

“Reme…”

 

His voice gave it away. Remus knew when his Padfoot needed him, and this was worse than he’d ever been. 

 

“Jesus, Pads. Wait right there. I’m coming down to let you in. But do it  _ quietly.  _ You can’t wake my parents, yeah?”

 

Sirius just nodded. He didn’t have a voice; he was spending all of his energy just keeping himself from breaking down beneath Remus’ bedroom window.

 


	2. No Escape From Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus is abruptly woken by an unexpected visitor. He takes it upon himself to try to help, but some problems just can't be solved in a night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh! 
> 
> This is new to me! Writing a story in separate chapters as opposed to separate parts!
> 
> I did this because I felt this chapter didn't have enough context to stand alone as its own story. 
> 
> This is a super Sirius-heavy plot. I felt like Bohemian Rhapsody was the perfect song to represent all of his pain and trauma... Do you guys agree?

_ Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality… _

  
  


Remus had been abruptly woken up by the sound of tapping on his window. It was Sirius. Something was wrong.

 

In all six years of being friends, Remus had never seen Sirius look like that before; lost, alone. When Moony went downstairs to pull his boyfriend inside, Padfoot just stood there, a shell of the man he once was.

 

The boys silently crept up the stairs to Remus’ bedroom, trying not to wake Mr. And Mrs. Lupin, who tended to be less understanding than the Potters. Once they entered the bedroom, Remus sat his boyfriend down on the bed and knelt before him.

 

“Sirius… what's wrong? What happened?”

 

Sirius didn't answer. He barely even looked at Moony. He just stared ahead at the blank wall, lost in his own thoughts.

 

“Sirius, I can't help you if you don't share with me. What happened?”

 

Still no answer. Remus was getting more worried by the minute, watching his boyfriend sit there, catatonic. 

 

“Sirius, you're starting to scare me. Please, talk to me!”

 

Mentioning how nervous he was might have been the jolt that Sirius’ system needed. He looked down at his Moony, kneeling in front of him, and nearly fell forward off the bed, wrapping his arms aggressively around Remus’ neck.

 

Once the initial shock of the sudden embrace wore off, Remus enclosed Padfoot in a tight, comforting hug, hoping that he was helping in some way. He felt Sirius heave in his arms, deep breaths shaking his entire body. Padfoot was crying. 

 

The two boys sat there, on the floor of the tiny bedroom, holding each other. It felt like an eternity when Sirius finally got his bearings and pulled away. Remus ran a hand down Sirius’ face, gently caressing the sharp cheekbones that he always adored. 

 

“Sirius…”

 

Foggy, grey eyes searched Remus’ hazel ones for something, desperate to bring a muddled mind out of its haze. Remus held on, attempting to keep his partner grounded in reality.

 

“Sirius…” Remus tried again, hoping to bring his boyfriend back to him. “Pads…”

 

Sirius nuzzled Remus’ hand against his face and pulled himself in for another hug. Lupin hesitated, not wanting this to be another sixteen-hour-long embrace, but he realized that Sirius desperately needed this catharsis; If that meant sitting in the floor for the rest of the night, Remus was more than happy to oblige. 

 

It took a while, but Sirius eventually pulled himself away and sat back against Lupin's bed, the way he had done a dozen times at Hogwarts. Remus adjusted his body and sat beside his boyfriend, squeezing his hand tightly. Without speaking, Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter he was carrying. He handed it to Moony, who unfolded it and read silently.

 

“Andromeda…” 

 

Sirius nodded.

 

“That's… a good thing, isn't it?” Remus was confused. Everything written in the letter seemed positive. Was this what made Sirius so upset that he had to ride his bike half way across town in the pouring rain in the middle of the night?

 

Sirius looked down at his free hand.

 

“Sirius?”

 

He looked at Moony with a sorrowful look of guilt and desperation. 

 

“I left him…”

 

And just like that, it all came together in Remus’ mind. Sirius wasn't upset about the letter; the letter reminded him of everything he lost when he left 12 Grimmauld Place. 

 

_ Regulus. _

 

Remus had met Regulus before. Being a prefect, he was always familiar with students from other houses, particularly ones that stood out. Regulus was handsome, like his brother. He had wavy dark hair and blue-grey eyes, like his brother. He was bright and quick to pick up magic, like his brother. The two seemed so alike that the marauders once teased about “Puppy Padfoot”. The teasing didn't go on for long. Sirius put an end to it immediately, establishing that Regulus was the only topic that was off limits. 

 

Within the past two years, the marauders watched as Regulus changed before their eyes. Once a gentle, kind boy, who was always eager to learn and looked up to his brother, Regulus Black fell in with the wrong crowd. He spent most of his time with other Slytherins, notably ones that had expressed interest in becoming death eaters.

 

Sirius blamed himself.

 

It was never his fault. Regulus was capable of making his own decisions, the same way Sirius was, but Padfoot always insisted on taking full responsibility. Sirius once confessed to Remus that he thought running away from home was the worst thing he could have done for his brother. At least when he lived in the Black house, he could take the brunt end of the damage. Now that he was gone, Regulus was alone, left to suffer without any Sirius there to act as a buffer for some of the hatred and rage.

 

None of this needed to be said as the boys sat on the dark bedroom floor. Remus knew what was troubling Sirius. He had been there in the past when Sirius woke up abruptly, crying his brother's name in the dark. This was his demon; the burden he felt he deserved.

 

Remus stood up and held out both hands, waiting for Sirius to take them. When their hands clasped, Remus pulled his boyfriend to his feet and removed his jacket. Sirius’ clothes were completely soaked, so Moony found a set of tattered pyjamas and helped Sirius get into them. He was a limp doll in Remus’ hands, barely able to move on his own. 

 

Remus gently pulled his pyjama-clad boyfriend into the bed and wrapped his arms tightly around his Padfoot. Moony knew that things would be better in the morning. They always were. But on nights like this, Sirius just needed to be held. 

 

“Tonight will be over soon, Pads, don't worry…”

 

Remus was just falling asleep when he heard Sirius's voice.

 

“Remus…”

 

“Yeah, Sere?” 

 

Sirius rolled over so that the boys were facing each other. He leaned in to kiss Remus, lips dry and rough, stubble scratching against his boyfriend's face. It wasn't a tender kiss; it was filled with need, a frantic sense of urgency. Remus pulled away.

 

“Mmph… Sirius, what are you doing?”

 

Padfoot looked Moony in the eyes and ran a shaking hand through his soft, sandy-coloured hair.

 

“Help me forget…”

 

Remus knew exactly what Sirius meant. 

 

This was not the way he wanted it to happen. He didn't want his first time to be forever haunted by sadness and grief. He didn't want to associate intimacy with this version of Sirius.

 

“No, Sirius. Not now.”

 

Sirius pressed his head against Remus’, hand still gripping tightly in his hair.

 

“Please…” It came out as barely a whisper, almost an exhale.

 

Remus wrapped his arms around his partner, whispering back.

 

“Turn around, Sirius. Let me hold you.”

 

Sirius reluctantly obliged. Remus pressed himself against his boyfriend, taking the role of big spoon for once. He kissed his Padfoot's neck and nuzzled gently into it. 

 

“Hey, Pads…”

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“I love you.”

 

Sirius squirmed backwards a little bit, bringing himself even tighter against Remus’ body.

 

“Hey Moons…”

 

“Mmhmm?”

 

“I love you, too.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there's one thing Remus has learned from dating Sirius this past month, it's how to say "no". There's no hesitation, no tiptoeing. Remus is learning to assert himself when he feels he needs to. Sirius has helped him stand up for himself, even if it means standing up to his own boyfriend...


	3. I Sometimes Wish I'd Never Been Born at All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus and Sirius are woken up in the morning by a knock on the door, leading to a difficult conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!
> 
> Here we really get to see Remus' relationship with his parents. We also get to see where he gets a lot of his deep-seeded issues from. 
> 
> Remus and Sirius have to cope with their problems the only way the know how..

_ I don't want to die. _

_ I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all… _

  
  
  
  


_ *Knock knock knock* _

 

“Remus. Are you in here?”

 

Remus scrambled out of bed faster than he'd ever done before, flopping himself unceremoniously onto the floor. He swiped a blanket from the foot of the bed and frantically pulled it over himself. 

 

Not bothering to wait for a response, Mr. Lupin opened the bedroom door. 

 

“What's going on in here?! Who is this? And whose motorbike is in front of the house?!”

 

Remus sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked over at Sirius, who was only now realizing what was happening around him.

 

“Um… this is Sirius. Sirius, Dad. Is his bike…” Remus’ words were slurred with fatigue.

 

“Up.”

 

Remus sat fully upright.

 

“On your feet.”

 

Remus stood up, blanket falling to the floor.

 

“Come with me, young man.”

 

Remus gave a brief look over his shoulder to Sirius before following his father out the bedroom door and down to the drawing room.

 

“Sit” Sirius could hear the conversation from the bedroom; it wasn't a very large home. He considered going down and trying to explain the situation, but he figured that would get Remus into more trouble.

 

“You are not to have uninvited guests over in this house, do you understand me?”

 

“Yes Sir.”

 

“Please understand, Remus, these rules are put in place for your own safety.”

 

“Yes, Dad. I understand.”

 

“The more people who spend time with you...the more you're at risk.”

 

A pause.

 

“Did you hear me?”

 

“Yes, Dad.”

 

“Remus, there are to be no overnight guests. That rule is firm. You're… you're young, Remus. And… and not much is… known...about your  _ condition. _ It so rarely happens to someone your age, and there are no documented cases… we don't want to take any risks. Do you understand?”

 

“Yes, Dad.”

 

“Stay hidden, stay safe. This is not hidden, Remus. And it's not safe.”

 

“Yes, Dad.”

 

“Stop it, Remus. Stop repeating yourself like that.”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

_ So that's why he does that… _

 

“Remus, you shouldn't… you shouldn't get too close to anyone. Friends… friends are a luxury you can't afford. When you love someone, they become a liability. How… how would you feel if one of your friends got hurt because of you? Hmm? How would you feel, Remus?”

 

“...Awful.”

 

“Exactly. That is what happens. You must keep yourself--and others--safe. You're a danger to everyone around you, Remus. Don't take chances. Don't take risks.”

 

“Yes, Dad.”

 

“Now, apologize for sneaking a friend into the house.”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

“This will not happen again. Is that understood?”

 

“Yes, Dad.”

 

“Good.”

 

Another pause.

 

“You know your mother and I love you very much, right?”

 

“Yes, Dad.”

 

“We only want what's best for you… we only want to protect you.”

 

“I know, Dad.”

 

“The world isn't made for people like you…Now, I'm going to have to ask that friend of yours to leave.”

 

“Sweetie.” It was a woman's voice. “Let's let Remus’ friend stay, just for the day. I think it would be good for him.”

 

“Hope, darling, I don't think that's a good idea…”

 

“Lyall, I must insist. Remus could really use some companionship.”

 

_ For Merlin's sake, just let the bloke speak for himself! _

 

“Fine. He may stay for the day. But Remus, this can never happen again. No overnight visitors.”

 

“Yes, Dad. I’m sorry...Thank you.”

 

“Go on. Up to your room. Keep the door  _ open _ .”

 

Sirius heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Remus entered the bedroom and gracelessly plopped himself down next to his boyfriend, who was still lying in bed.

 

“Damn...That's rough, mate.”

 

“Stuff it, Padfoot.” Remus playfully pushed Sirius, who grabbed him in a hug and pulled him down towards the mattress. Lupin pulled away and sat up.

 

“Reme, you okay?”

 

“Hey Sere… let's not mention that we're…” His voice dropped to a low whisper. “That we're dating…”

 

Sirius looked dejected, but he nodded in agreement. Remus noticed how hurt he seemed and spoke up.

 

“You know… if you were a girl, I'd have said the same thing… they… they don't think it's safe for me to date. Anyone. So they can't find out…”

 

Sirius smiled at his boyfriend's feeble attempts at trying to make him feel better.

 

“Good to know that if I were a girl, you'd be just as embarrassed of me.”

 

Remus smiled, rolled his eyes, and ran a hand lovingly through Sirius’ hair. 

 

“Hey Moons…”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I'm sorry for getting you into trouble… I didn't mean to.”

 

Remus looked out the door to make sure his parents weren't nearby and kissed Sirius gently on the head.

 

“Don't be an idiot. I'm glad you came by. I liked being able to… be there for you… help you… you know?”

 

Sirius smiled and wrapped his arms around Remus’ torso. It was nice to know that he had made the right decision coming here last night. Moony was right, the morning did make everything better. 

 

“Soo… wanna ride the bike back to the Potters’?” Sirius was grinning cheekily.

 

“Not for all the galleons in the Black vault,” Remus quipped. 

 

“Suit yourself! We're gonna have to floo there!” 

 

“I never agreed to go to the Potters’ with you...”

 

The boys laughed as they pulled themselves out of bed and headed downstairs in their pyjamas.

 

Despite their smiling faces and chipper laughter, Remus knew that Sirius was masking his pain, hiding behind his humour like he always did. There was a deep pit in his stomach, trying to consume his entire being, and it took every ounce of strength he had to keep afloat. Remus knew, because he was doing the same thing.

 

It was nice being back together.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do want to note:
> 
> Lyall Lupin is not intentionally being abusive to Remus. He blames himself for Remus' "condition" (as he calls it), and has spent the remainder of his life dealing with that guilt.
> 
> That's not to say that his actions were correct. The way he speaks to his son is awful, and the stress he's put on our poor Moony was more than he could bear. But I do think a large part of abuse is intention. The result is the same, yes, and Remus should have been treated better throughout his life. I just didn't want to paint Lyall as a malicious character, just obtuse. 
> 
> Tldr:  
> Lyall bad, but not evil.


End file.
